“Multicultural Is Now the Mainstream”: Victoria Sánchez De Alba Inspired Students and Veteran Communicators at Scholarship Luncheon

At the SFPRRT’s annual Scholarship Luncheon on April 23, 2019, members welcomed the next generation of public relations practitioners — this year’s scholarship winners — with a practical and inspirational talk on diversity and inclusion in the field by keynote speaker Victoria Sánchez De Alba, who has spent her career at the forefront of the struggle for equality in the workplace.

De Alba, who founded her firm, De Alba Communications, at the turn of the century, spoke about her life’s trajectory — from humble beginnings as a farmworker in Salinas, to an Emmy award-winning journalist, to power PR practitioner, to San Mateo County Assembly District delegate (to the Democratic State Central Committee) — as an example for our diverse cohort of scholarship winners to follow.

“I took the whole package of who I am — Mexican-American farmworker, writer, journalist, PR expert, passionate advocate — and set out to reshape the business landscape,” she said. She would then reshape many companies by encouraging diversity amongst their staff and boards.

Even back in 2003, when De Alba transitioned to PR, there were already companies that wanted to connect to more diverse audiences — but were missing the critical piece of actually employing people from diverse backgrounds, including women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people.

Now, as our state and nation become more diverse, and minority groups’ spending power increases, brands are finally paying more attention to them.

“Multicultural is the mainstream” these days, she said. “By not incorporating multicultural consumers into your work, you are hurting your agency’s growth and your clients’ growth.”

Five Bay Area college/university students were honored with a total of $10,000 in scholarships at the PR Round Table’s April 23, 2019, meeting, held at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. They are a hardworking and accomplished group, with strong academic records and impressive internships or leadership positions under their belts. They have overcome hardships, financial and otherwise, and in at least one case, are the first in their family to attend college. Four are undergraduates or graduating with a bachelor’s this year, while one is finishing up grad school.

To be eligible for the Scholarship Program, students have to be enrolled in a college or university within the Bay Area’s sphere of influence, in a public relations, journalism, communications, media studies, marketing or other related program, and they must have earned a 3.5 or higher GPA. Both undergraduate and graduate students are considered.

This year we received 25 applications and narrowed the field to seven finalists who each underwent an interview. We selected five students as winners this year based on their applications, interviews, recommendations and writing samples. The students’ understanding of the PR profession, volunteer/work experience and commitment to the field also factored into our decisions.

Each of our five winners will receive a scholarship in the amount of $2,000. Students can use the funds for such purposes as paying their educational costs, financing relevant abroad programs, repaying loans, attending conferences or covering living expenses while they take on internships. This year we are offering scholarship winners a pass to our Member Mixer in June. All winners also will receive a free membership in the PR Round Table for the remainder of 2019.

The bulk of financial support for the Scholarship Program comes from the auction at the organization’s annual gala, with a portion coming from private donations and luncheon fees. See our sponsors here.

Following are bios of our five 2019 scholarship winners:

Rebbecca (Becky) Ajuonuma is a second-year graduate student at Golden Gate University working on her master’s in integrated marketing communications with a PR concentration. An international student from Nigeria, Becky has been largely self-supporting since starting graduate school and has made the Dean’s List every semester at GGU. She has been working this year at an internship at Current Marketing, a Weber Shandwick sister agency. The scholarship will help ease the burden of tuition and enable her to invest in career-enhancing PR conferences and events and memberships. Per her application, she hopes to eventually return to her home country and work with nonprofit organizations dedicated to women’s education and empowerment, with the goal of teaching the upcoming generation of women to be resourceful and financially independent. Per GGU Adjunct Professor Jay Rooney (a PRRT Board member), “Even amongst my best students, Becky is exceptionally talented and hard-working.”

Jocelyn Jensen is a graduating senior at Cal State East Bay, majoring in communications. Not only is she a re-entry student who took time off from college to raise her daughter, but also she is graduating on the same day that her daughter graduates from UC Berkeley. Jocelyn is serving as 2018-19 president of the campus chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, where she has grown the membership substantially, and has been a contributor to the campus newspaper. As her professor wrote in his letter of recommendation, “She demonstrates the rhetorical savvy, critical awareness, dedication and motivation needed to be a successful professional in the field of public relations.” The scholarship would help alleviate money worries since she is unable to work while taking five classes in her last semester.

Alison McLaughlin is a senior at Santa Clara University, with a double major in communication and psychology. She has been on the Dean’s List all four years, among other honors earned while at college. Alison has shown an interest in applying her academics and skills to law enforcement, having worked as a cadet for the San Francisco Police Department, where she helped create bridges between the community and law enforcement by volunteering for events where she could interact with community members. She also has worked as an Honors Intern with the FBI, and has been volunteering with the Victim Services Division of the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office. “My volunteerism in a variety of milieus and my work alongside police officers and federal agents have given me a unique perspective and appreciation for the power of communicating to improve relationships and lives,” she wrote in her application.

Sydney Ochoa is a senior majoring in communications studies with a minor in advertising at the University of San Francisco. She currently works as a media relations intern at USF’s Office of Marketing and Communications, and previously worked as a social media intern and brand media assistant at Ancestry. On top of these internships, she has been active in campus organizations, currently serving as president of the Lambda Pi Eta Communications Honor Society, while earning a spot on the Dean’s Honor Roll all four years at USF. She intends to use her scholarship money to help offset living costs as she undertakes an internship at a PR agency in San Francisco this summer, and to help pay off the interest on her student loans. “Sydney is an extremely engaged student,” her professor wrote, “and I have no doubt that she brings the same level of engagement and enthusiasm to her public relations positions, which is why she has already developed an impressive background in the area.”

Joseph Sandoval-Rios is a senior at San Jose State University studying public relations and event management. The first in his family to attend college, Joseph has been deeply involved in campus life, current serving as residential advisor and community relations intern for University Housing Services, and serving as chair of the Student Union Board of Directors and as chief elections officer for the Associated Students Government at SJSU. Previously he served as vice president of his fraternity, president and CEO of the Residence Hall Association, and director of Faculty Affairs for the Associated Students of SJSU. He currently holds two paid off-campus positions, including as a PR/media consultant for Connext, a PR firm where he monitors news and social media outlets for Tesla. Joseph plans on pursuing a career in university student affairs and advocate for accessibility services in higher education. “I want to be able to go back to my community and share the importance of receiving a higher education,” he wrote in his application. He will use the scholarship money to assist with paying off his student loan debt, since he is self-supporting.

We’ve reached out to colleges and universities in and around the Bay Area in search of the best and the brightest among students studying public relations, communications and allied fields. Now you’re invited to join us in April for our annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon, where we will give out $10,000 or more to a select group of students who have excelled in their academics while gaining practical experience, and who are committed to making an impact on the PR field.

Whether you are starting out, starting over or staying the course in your communications career, Victoria Sánchez De Alba, our keynote speaker for the 2019 Scholarship Luncheon, has something to offer you on how to enhance your personal brand and stay relevant while forging forward.

De Alba is a University of San Francisco alum and former national Emmy Award-winning journalist who launched her public relations firm, De Alba Communications, in San Francisco in 2001. She works on social impact campaigns for various sectors to drive public awareness and build brand loyalty in mainstream and ethnic markets. She is acknowledged nationally for her energy, creativity, passion and persistence on best approaches for accessing regional, local, national and international media.

De Alba will speak about her own journey to becoming a journalist and PR pro, and the imperative to always be growing, and will also provide practical advice on how to build more diverse PR organizations and departments.

BackgoundVictoria Sánchez De Alba received her bachelor’s in communications from USF in 1997. Just a few short years after graduation, De Alba found herself working in public and media relations for a leading high tech firm in San Francisco. Unfortunately, this was just in time for the burst of the dot-com bubble, and she was laid off. She freelanced, but couldn’t land a permanent job. In the face of this stagnancy, she forged off on her own, founding De Alba Communications, which works to raise public awareness through strategic media outreach to both general and multicultural markets.

“I created my own pathway,” De Alba said in an interview for USF’s website. “Out of necessity of needing work, I took the entire package of who I was — Mexican American, farmworker, writer, journalist, PR agent — and started out into a new area of PR, which was multicultural PR.”

Prior to working in the PR field, De Alba worked as a TV news producer and investigative reporter for the Center for Investigative Reporting and ABC7 News. She later moved on to work for CBS 13, KOVR TV, in Sacramento.

“This was very stimulating for me,” De Alba said, “as I got to cover stories concerning poor and working class health status disparities in various races and ethnic groups, along with technology, consumer issues, education and politics.”

Which is how, after she left CBS 13, KOVR TV, to explore opportunities in tech firm and was later laid off, she got the inspiration to start her own PR firm focusing on general and multicultural PR.

De Alba is dedicated to helping create a more socially responsible world. She grew up in the “Salad Bowl Capital of the World” — Salinas, California — where she worked summers in the agricultural fields with her family, harvesting produce and fruit. That experience has made her sensitive to issues faced by working families, such as health risks related to pesticides, healthcare access, the need to improve working conditions and other social inequalities.

A fierce advocate of diversity and inclusion, Victoria works tirelessly to increase representation of women and people of color within the public relations field, as well as in local politics. She is active with her alma mater, the University of San Francisco, serving on the Board of Directors of the school’s Women in Leadership & Philanthropy and the Latino Alumni Society. She was recently elected as an Assembly Delegate to the state Democratic Party for District 22 (San Mateo County) after running on a platform that emphasized inclusivity.

On Thursday, February 14, 2019, the PR Round Table hosted its annual fundraising gala — this time with a distinctly romantic flair befitting its Valentine’s Day date.

Our members and their guests were enthralled by our absolutely glamorous MC and live auctioneer, San Francisco drag icon Donna Sachet, as well as our keynote speaker, San Francisco Chronicle Columnist Phil Matier.

In return, our members and guests expressed love for our future scholarship winners — by raising a total of $10,000 at the silent and live auctions, and via sponsorships.

We would like to thank all of our gala sponsors (see list) and auction donors (see list), as well as Troika Winery for donating wine for the party, as well as the Westin St. Francis Hotel for being such gracious hosts.

We also would like to thank Patricia Harden, of Harden Communications Company, for her donation, as well as Stanton Public Relations & Marketing (New York), for their matching donation — which together put their sponsorship in the Diamond Level ($1,000 and above). A big thanks also to Sam Singer of Singer Associates for their Diamond Level donation.

And last, but not least — we sincerely thank everyone who attended, bid at the auction or otherwise supported our Scholarship Fund. You are ensuring the future of our field and craft in the Bay Area.

]]>http://sfprrt.org/valentines-day-gala-love-was-in-the-air/feed/02019 Gala Auction Offers Amazing Experienceshttp://sfprrt.org/2019-gala-auction-offers-amazing-experiences/
http://sfprrt.org/2019-gala-auction-offers-amazing-experiences/#commentsSat, 12 Jan 2019 05:24:03 +0000PRRTadminhttp://sfprrt.org/?p=2464Our reimagined fundraising gala fell on Valentine’s Day — February 14, 2019 — and featured our best auction items yet. To add to the fun, Donna Sachet, a drag performer known as the First Lady of the Castro, was on hand to do a live auction of our big-ticket prizes. We thank our many donors, who are listed below.

LIVE AUCTION, with Auctioneer Donna Sachet

Long Weekend in Monterey: A three-night stay at a deluxe oceanfront condo at Pajaro Dunes on Monterey Bay. This well-appointed two-bedroom, two bath condo has a chef’s kitchen and full-on ocean views: sunsets, surf and dolphins. Steps to the sand, minutes to Carmel and Monterey.

Private Rooftop Blue Angels Viewing Party: Join SFPRRT Board Member Terry Peckham at his annual Blue Angels viewing party at his spectacular S.F. Marina house, with 360-degree rooftop viewing of the action on the Bay, along with gourmet appetizers and unlimited wine and beer. Two pairs of tickets available.

Luxury Hotel in San Francisco: A night at the elegant Westin St. Francis Hotel, the venue for our Valentine’s Day Party

SILENT AUCTION

Featured Item:

A Pair of Date Night Passes to The Speakeasy, an Illicit Bar, Crooked Casino, Vaudeville Cabaret: Step back in time to 1923 as 35 characters lead you on a “choose your own adventure” into the depths of the Prohibition Era — at a secret location in S.F. Song and dance, comedy and drama, casino-style gaming and killer cocktails are among the many delights you will encounter as you explore the secret passages and hidden rooms of The Palace Theater. Your premium include champagne, premium seats and a commemorative photo.

Tours, Tastings and Staycations:

Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals and Tours: Gift Certificate for a guided Tour for Two

San Francisco Secret Food Tour: “We will take you on a tasting adventure with delicious foods and drinks that embody mouth-watering local and international influences. We will entertain you with stories of the city and its history; you will end up with a belly full of food and a greater understanding of the cuisine, the culture and the fusion that created it.”

Alcatraz Cruise: Four Adult Day Tour Tickets to Alcatraz

Hornblower Yachts: Two passes for a dining cruise

Dashe Cellars, Oakland: Wine tasting for two

Troika Winery, Sonoma: Tasting for two plus gift wine set

Performing Arts:

Marin Theatre Company: Two tickets to a play of your choosing

Aurora Theatre Company, Berkeley: Two tickets to any subscription season production

SHN Golden Gate Theater: Two tickets to opening night of “Falsettos”

SF Jazz: Two tickets to a jazz show of your choosing

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra: Two tickets to two performances

San Francisco Symphony: Two tickets for specified dates

Curran Theater: Two tickets to “The Jungle”

Berkeley Repertory Theatre: Two tickets to a season performance

Museum Passes:

Exploratorium

Charles M. Schulz Museum

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Pier 39 Fun Pack, with tickets for two to the Aquarium of the Bay, Carousel, Blue and Gold Fleet and More

Children’s Creativity Museum – four passes

Restaurant Gift Certificates:

Alexander’s Steakhouse, San Francisco

Bartlett Hall, San Francisco

Harris’ Restaurant, The San Francisco Steakhouse

North Beach Restaurant, San Francisco

Cliff House, San Francisco

Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria, San Francisco

Hana Zen Sushi Bar, Pier 39, San Francisco

The Buena Vista, San Francisco

Yank Sing Restaurant, San Francisco

John’s Grill, San Francisco

Scoma’s, San Francisco

Pampering

The Color Design Salon: Certificate for highlights and toner

Spa at The St. Regis San Francisco: 60-minute customized massage or facial

Special thanks to Laurie Armstrong Gossy of SF Travel for her help with arranging auction donations.

]]>http://sfprrt.org/2019-gala-auction-offers-amazing-experiences/feed/0October Speaker Carol Pogash: Chutzpah, drive and good writing hallmarks of journalist’s careerhttp://sfprrt.org/october-speaker-carol-pogash-chutzpah-drive-and-good-writing-hallmarks-of-journalists-career/
http://sfprrt.org/october-speaker-carol-pogash-chutzpah-drive-and-good-writing-hallmarks-of-journalists-career/#commentsThu, 01 Nov 2018 03:38:52 +0000PRRTadminhttp://sfprrt.org/?p=2380
For someone who never took a journalism class, Carol Pogash has had an amazing career as a reporter. Stringer for the New York Times; feature writer for the San Francisco Chronicle; on-air reporter at The News Room; author of bestselling books – she’s done it all. Her stories of local events have run in national outlets because, as she says, “I try to make the subjects appeal to people in South Carolina or New Hampshire, even though they’re about events in California.”

At the October 23 PR Round Table meeting, Ms. Pogash regaled the audience with tales from the front lines, weaving in the theme for the talk: How to take local stories national.

Early in her career she gave a speech to mayors in California, telling them what was wrong with cities in the state. Her mother suggested she submit the speech to the New York Times, as an op-ed. Shortly after she did so, Charlotte Curtis, then-editor of the New York Times editorial page, called her to ask if she could trim the article a bit. “You mean you’re going to run it?” she asked Ms Curtis. “Yes,” came the answer. She recalls that “at that moment I thought gee, this journalism thing is really easy.”

It wasn’t easy. She, as have numerous women trying to enter a man’s working world, was faced with blatant sexism and bias at every turn. One moment that stands out was when she worked as a writer at a nonprofit in Berkeley, where many of her male peers asked her to rewrite their material. She talked to her boss about getting paid what the men were being paid. His response was, “Never let it be said that a woman is a man’s equal until she can enter a smoke-filled room…” She doesn’t remember what else he said because her anger deafened her ears to the rest.

Poetic justice came years later when she was covering then San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein. That same former boss had contacted Feinstein offering to help her “in any way he could.” Pogash relished the moment she could fill Feinstein in on her history with the guy; Feinstein immediately backed off accepting his offer.

But also like many other women, Pogash overcame obstacles with her tenacity and drive. It didn’t hurt that she’s also a gifted writer. Randy Shilts, the late AIDS advocate and journalist, referred to her book on the AIDS crisis as “the best book on AIDS ever written, after my book on the subject.” She credits that support with making the sale of the manuscript a reality.

Her book, “Quotations from Chairman Trump,” (Rosetta Books) has sold over a million copies. She notes that “I didn’t write a word of it; these are all things he said.”

Pogash offers these tips for successfully pitching a story:

1. Follow your intuition.

2. Timing is key.

3. Love your story.

4. Know everything there is to know about the subject.

5. Frame your pitch to a trend or something unique.

6. One strike is all you get. Subsequent pitches must work, or the editor may tune you out.

7. Be resilient.

8. Grab the editor with the subject line in your email.

9. The first sentence is the one that counts.

10. Lean on your contacts.

- Phyllis Goodman

]]>http://sfprrt.org/october-speaker-carol-pogash-chutzpah-drive-and-good-writing-hallmarks-of-journalists-career/feed/0Donate to the Silent Auction, Support a Studenthttp://sfprrt.org/donate-to-the-silent-auction-support-a-student/
http://sfprrt.org/donate-to-the-silent-auction-support-a-student/#commentsThu, 11 Oct 2018 06:47:31 +0000PRRTadminhttp://sfprrt.org/?p=2369It wouldn’t be a Holiday Party without the Silent Auction! The Holiday Party’s Silent Auction is the primary source of funding for the PR Round Table’s signature public service, the Philip N. McCombs Scholarship Program, which gives out $10,000 or more each year to Bay Area college students majoring in public relations, communications, marketing, media studies, journalism and the like. The Silent Auction is a great way for businesses to promote their services and build word-of-mouth discussions among the Bay Area communications leaders who attend the annual holiday event.

Donors will be recognized in the Holiday Party Program, in the Silent Auction display and on the PR Round Table’s website.

We’re seeking donations in a range of values, including items as simple as movie tickets or and as grand as a weekend getaway. Examples of auction items include:

Restaurant or retail gift certificates

Museum passes

Spa, massage or salon packages

Sports club memberships

Hotel stays, vacation packages

Gift baskets of wine or non-perishable food

Winery tours and tastings

Tickets to performances, experiences, sporting events, etc.

Rounds of golf

Books

Classes and services, such as photography services or a cooking class

Unique items produced by your clients or your company

Art objects

Cash donations that we’ll turn into an enticing prize

Use your imagination and connections! Reach out to a favorite restaurant or venue, and ask for a gift certificate. A five-minute call on your part could generate hundreds of dollars for the Scholarship Program, and help our profession stay professional by supporting the communicators of tomorrow. Fill out the Auction Donation Form and send or deliver your item along with the form by November 15 to: Alice Warren, D&A Communications, Inc., 1388 Sutter St., Ste. 1200, San Francisco, CA 94109. If the item is virtual, you can email the form and the item to Alice@davis-pr.com. Alice’s phone number is 415-792-6055, in case you need to arrange a delivery. We thank PRRT Board Member Darolyn Davis for accepting donations on behalf of the organization.

]]>http://sfprrt.org/donate-to-the-silent-auction-support-a-student/feed/0Michael Krasny, Veteran Journalist and Host of KQED’s “Forum,” Draws Full House for August PRRT Meetinghttp://sfprrt.org/michael-krasny-veteran-journalist-and-host-of-kqeds-forum-draws-full-house-for-august-prrt-meeting/
http://sfprrt.org/michael-krasny-veteran-journalist-and-host-of-kqeds-forum-draws-full-house-for-august-prrt-meeting/#commentsTue, 04 Sep 2018 09:41:46 +0000PRRTadminhttp://sfprrt.org/?p=2298“Forum” Host Michael Krasny (left) was joined by Senior Editor Dan Zoll at the PRRT’s August talk.

“You’ll never get rich in public radio,” Michael Krasny told the packed house at the August 28, 2018, meetng of the S.F. PR Round Table. “What you will do is make a difference.”

Krasny, the legendary host of KQED Radio’s “Forum” call-in interview program, has spent the past 25 years doing serious radio on “pointy-headed topics” designed to shine a light on subjects of interest to thousands of listeners across the Bay Area and the nation. His mission is to illuminate topics “at the highest level of discourse,” and to fulfill the goal of the Public Broadcasting System (PBS): to educate citizens.

Krasny hearkened back to his early days in radio at KTIM in Marin County. “I came to San Francisco in 1970 to teach literature and criticism at San Francisco State University,” he recalled. “After a few years, I had the urge to go into radio. I went to KTIM and proposed an interview program, with me talking to local people who were serving the public in interesting ways.”

He spoke on air with numerous people at KTIM, from dedicated, selfless individuals doing good for the community to larger-than-life celebrities. A woman who ran a hospice program stands out for her dedication and commitment. As does musician Jerry Garcia, who calmly unwrapped a packet of a white powdery substance during the interview. (Krasny intervened before Garcia could do any damage with it, and Garcia politely put it away.)

From KTIM he transitioned to a commercial radio station, and then to KQED. But his basic interview format has not changed. “When I started out, I never thought I would be doing a morning radio program that would be the ratings leader in the Bay Area,” he said. In other markets, public radio stations compete with commercial radio stations. “Here, most radio stations are competing with us for listeners.”

An interesting sidebar was that if you add up the viewers of MSNBC and Fox TV, NPR exceeds that total in listenership, per Krasny. “The secret,” he said, “is that we do good journalism.”

Because NPR is a ratings leader, the show gets many requests for on-air interviews. “We get about 100 books a week,” Krasny noted, “all of them from authors wanting to be on the show.” Even so, many of the people he schedules tell him that he’s the first person who’s really read the book before the interview (although these days, he admits, he may limit his reading to a few chapters).

Following Krasny’s talk, Dan Zoll, senior editor for “Forum,” provided tips on pitching ideas for the show. Some of them are:

1. They are live Monday-Friday, from 9-11 am. Krasny hosts Monday through Thursday, and Mina Kim hosts on Fridays.

2. The first hour tends to be newsy, and the second hour is typically authors or topics that are less time-sensitive than the news.

3. They generally do between two and four topics over the two hours.

4. They tend to book the second hour as much as a few months in advance. They put together the first hour the day before.

5. They’re always looking for interesting local people who are great talkers and storytellers.

6. Having guests in-studio is important to them. If you represent a public official or business, encourage them to come in for the interview — it makes them sound better and your organization look better.

What makes a good “Forum” show is material that reflects the diversity of the Bay Area. The guest should be able to handle provocative and controversial issues in a civil and responsible way. Here’s how to reach Zoll or any of the show’s three producers:

To wrap things up, Krasny reflected on how his curiosity is what drives him. When he stops being curious, he said, “maybe that will be the time to hang up the cleats. But I hope it never does!” — Phyllis Goodman

]]>http://sfprrt.org/michael-krasny-veteran-journalist-and-host-of-kqeds-forum-draws-full-house-for-august-prrt-meeting/feed/0“As Real as It Gets — AIDS, Murder and Donald Trump” in the Words of Bay Area Journalist and Author Carol Pogashhttp://sfprrt.org/as-real-as-it-gets-aids-murder-and-donald-trump-in-the-words-of-bay-area-writer-carol-pogash/
http://sfprrt.org/as-real-as-it-gets-aids-murder-and-donald-trump-in-the-words-of-bay-area-writer-carol-pogash/#commentsTue, 04 Sep 2018 08:30:39 +0000PRRTadminhttp://sfprrt.org/?p=2289Reserve Now

Bay Area reporter and author Carol Pogash describes herself as an “all-terrain communicator.” Her stories appear in The New York Times, The Guardian, the Huffington Post and many other publications. She’s a TV reporter, magazine writer, newspaper columnist, online editor, blogger, radio essayist and deadline reporter. Early in her career, she covered the Patty Hearst kidnapping for The Examiner, Patty’s father’s newspaper. (More recently, you may have seen her commentary in “The Radical Story of Patty Hearst,” a CNN documentary.)

Pogash’s groundbreaking stories profile mayors, murderers and a homeless woman who crossed paths with a rising political star. Pogash has written about tech-fueled gentrification, loving Yosemite’s giant sequoias to death, Christmas day drones, a Golden Gate Bridge suicide barrier, and earthquake retrofits that won’t survive the Big One.

Her poignant As Real As It Gets: The Life of a Hospital at the Center of the AIDS Epidemic, introduced by Randy Shilts, describes what happened when blood suddenly became a toxin. Even closer to home, she wrote about a bizarre, sensational murder in her home town of Orinda in Seduced by Madness: The True Story of the Susan Polk Murder Case. Pogash’s Quotations from Chairman Trump was the first book to call attention to the candidate’s quotes and tweets. The book, which has gone into its fourth printing, was an early warning of what could result from a Trump presidency.

Join us Oct. 23, 2018, to hear from this quintessential reporter, who has learned a thing or two about pitching stories to editors in every medium — and how to write them in down-to-earth prose that compels attention. You’ll also find out what it takes to go beyond local media outlets in your PR efforts, and take your clients and your messages national, and even international. — Hatti Hamlin

Sandwiches come with chips, and all lunches come with a Specialty’s fabulous giant cookie!!

]]>http://sfprrt.org/as-real-as-it-gets-aids-murder-and-donald-trump-in-the-words-of-bay-area-writer-carol-pogash/feed/0Leah Garchik Takes Off Her Hat and Lets Down Her Hair at June Mixerhttp://sfprrt.org/leah-garchik-takes-off-her-hat-and-lets-down-her-hair-at-june-mixer/
http://sfprrt.org/leah-garchik-takes-off-her-hat-and-lets-down-her-hair-at-june-mixer/#commentsThu, 12 Jul 2018 05:34:18 +0000PRRTadminhttp://sfprrt.org/?p=2246The Equinox Club provided the perfect backdrop for Leah Garchik’s talk.

Veteran SF Chronicle columnist Leah Garchik was the speaker at the PR Round Table’s Mixer networking event on Tuesday, June 26, regaling the more-than 50 guests with tales from her past and tips for landing an item in her column.

Appearing without the trademark hat that graces the portrait accompanying her column, Garchik laughed about the impact the photo has had on readers. “People send me all kinds of comments about my picture,” she said. “Recently a reader told me I didn’t need to wear that heavy hat in the summer and should take it off.”

Garchik in person conveyed the same charm and civility she does in writing. “I do try to be polite,” she commented. “That’s how I was brought up.”

Born and raised in Brooklyn, she moved to San Francisco in 1971. She’s been writing a daily column at the Chronicle for 34 years. She was hired for her first job there on the phone, as a part time steno clerk assisting columnist Art Hoppe.

At one point, she saw a notice on the Chronicle bulletin board that someone she knew had been promoted to a more senior position. “I could do that,” she thought to herself, and went and asked her editor, Bill German, for a similar promotion. She got it, and her writing career took off.

The paper was looking for something light and fluffy to pull readers into the center of the front section. “I liked fluffy,” she commented. “And I liked making things. So, I started writing a column reviewing craft books.” It worked.

At that time, paper press releases arrived in the news room by the hundreds, every day. She put a carton next to each section editor’s desk and asked them to put the releases they didn’t want in the box. “I would pick up their rejects and get ideas to pursue from them.”

Eventually she worked her way into the columnist spot. “I have the best job in San Francisco,” Garchik said. “I love to write. And I can go to any event I want to, if the organizers want publicity!”

One of her many “best” experiences as a columnist was the afternoon she spent watching renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma rehearsing ­—‑ and then speaking with him. “That was one of the greatest moments in my career,” she recalled. “He spoke with me for a half hour, and during that time he seemed unaware of anything else going on in the world except for our conversation. I had enough material to fill a whole column just from that brief conversation.”

Her advice for existing in the world:

Don’t be defensive. Just try to learn.

Follow your instincts.

Do no harm.

Be polite.

Here are some tips for how to get an item into her column:

The least likely route is telling her you were in Herb Caen’s column five times.

The item must have some emotional impact. She wants the reader to get angry, or laugh, or cry. The news value is a trifle less important to her than how it will make readers feel.

Tell her something that’s not in the press release. A back story.

She does not run one-liners. She is not Herb Caen.

She’s not the “social” writer. She rarely just runs a list of names of who was at an event.

She responds to all her emails — her inbox is always empty at the end of the day. And she answers her phone, though afternoon is the best time to call since she works on her column in the morning. So, take note: 415-777-8426, lgarchik@sfchronicle.com.